Josiah t



(No Model.)

J. T. MAREAN.

TOY RACE COURSE.

No. 339,443; Patented Apr. 6, 1886..

WIT/V58 8 N. PErEns, FholoLilhcgWpher, Wnhingwn D. C.

iinrrnn STATES 'PATENT @rri'cn.

JOSIAH T. MAREAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TOY RACE-COURSE.

gPECZPZCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,443, dated April 6,1886.

Application filed November 9, 1835. Serial No. $2,296. (Nomodeh) T 0(ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosIAH. T. ll'lAREAN, of Brooklyn, New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Race- Courses, ofwhich the following is aspecification.

My invention has for its object the simulation of a real race; anditconsists in arranging any desired number of miniature figures of mountedhorses or other figures in such a manner that they will revolve around acommon perpendicular pivotal post, and in combining with thisarrangement a follower and suitable driving mechanism whereby thefigures are projected successively, and without interfering, one beyondthe other, as will be hereiuafter explained.

Myinvention also consists in the peculiar construction of the partsabove named, and in other details which will be particulary referred to,and afterward pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 represents a plan view of my invention. Fig. 2is a cross-section on the line m at, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detailsectional view to a larger scale on the line 3 1 Fig. 1..

In the drawings, A represents a box or casing of any suitable size, andformed either of wood or metal. 3 is a cover to the same, hav ingflanges I), which iit down over the box. This cover is formed,preferably, of tin, a though it may be made of wood or any othersuitable material.

By constructing the cover,as described,with the flange I), I am enabledto remove it easily whenever desired.

The cover is divided into two parts-an inner and an enter. The innerpart is circular in shape, and between it and the outer part is an openportion, which constitutes the race course or track 0.

Connecting the inner and outer parts of the cover B are arches B, underwhich the figu res travel in moving over the course.

Centrally located within the box or casing A is a rigid post orstandard, 1), attached, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to the bottom ofsaid casing.

in Fig. i l show the lower terminus of the post I), having a squareportion which fits into a plate, 12, having a corresponding opening,the.

plate being attached to the bottom of the box.

.Tou rnaled upon the central post, D, are any suitable number ofhorizontal wires or arms,E. They may be any number desired. In thedrawings annexed T have shown live, but do not confine myself to anyparticular number. These wires are bent upward at the ends 0, and tothese perpendicular portions are attached the figures F. Upon theopposite ends of the wires or arms E are placed weights G, which may bearranged so as to be adjustable. These weights counterbalance the weightof the figures F, and by this means I greatly diminish the friction andthe consequent wear at the pivots of the horizontal arms, and secure,also, a smooth, steady, and continuous motion, in stead of a jerky andinterrupted one. As before stated, these weights are adjustable and arearranged so as to nearly but not quite bal ance the figures at theopposite ends. By such an arrangement the best results are obtained. Thehorizontal wires or arms E are of different lengths, and the verticalends e are arranged in succession, one beyond the other, from the top tothe bottom, so that the figures F in traveling around the course willpass each other without interference. XVashers H are placed on thecentral post, D, between the horizontal wires or arms, to prevent theirinterfering at this point and to facilitate the movement of the workingparts.

Jonrnaled upon the central post or standard,D,is a D-shaped follower, J.The vertical shaft K of this follower is journaled at both its ends inthe horizontal arms of the follower Land is free to rotate upon itsaxis. The shaft K is provided with cams L, which are rigidly attached tothe shaft and which move in unison therewith when the shaft rotates. A.cam is arranged opposite each of the horizontal wires or arms E, so thatas the follower revolves and the shaft rotateseach arm is projectedforward by the cam which bears against it.

Attached to the lower horizontal arm of the I follower J is a bevelpinion-wheel, M, which is journaled in the central post, D,and is freeto turn thereon. A smaller beveled pinionwheel, N, gears into this andis adapted to be IOO operated by means of a horizontal shaft, 0,provided with a handle, P. A pinion-wheel, R, is keyed to the lowerportion of the vertical cam-shaft K and meshes into a largerpinion-wheel, S, rigidly attached to the central post, D.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the handle P'and shaft 0are turned, the bevel-pinion N, gearing with the bevelpinion M, willcause the latter to rotate, which will in turn operate the follower Jattached to it. .As the follower moves around the post D, thepinion-wheel R will be carried with it. The pinion-wheel will also havean independent rotating movement of its own by virtue of its gearingwith the stationary pinion S. This double movement is imparted to theshaft K and the cams L, which rotate and revolve at the same time and inunison with the pinion R. It will be seen that as the follower Jrevolves around the central post,D,the camshaft K and cams L will rotateupon their axes and the faces of the cams will be successively projectedagainst the horizontal wires or arms E, thus diversifying the movementsof the figures and causing each in turn to spurt or travel ahead of theothers.

The sizes of the wheels R S and the consequent number of the cogs ineach can be such as to vary as much as possible the relative position ofthe figures at the termination of the different races.

A'bell, T, and a suitable stop, t, can be arranged to automaticallyterminate the race, and one of the arches, B, can be selected as thewinning-post, and a figure,U, placed there, representing the judge andjudges stand.

A grand stand, \V, can be placed upon the cover or attached at the sideof the box furnished with figures representing spectators, thus furthersimulating a real race.

The figures of the horses and riders may be substituted by men walking,riding. velocipedes, or by any other figures desired, and they may bemade removable from the arms and replacable by other figures, so as togive the toy more variety and scope.

The track may be inclosed by a fence, Y.

The toy may be operated in any other way for example, by a clock -workmechanism brought in connection with the upper arm of the followerthrough a hole to be left in the center of the cover. By reversing thearms end for end and turning the crank the other way the figures may bemade to move in the opposite direction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A toy race-course provided with miniature figures attached to wiresor arms journaled on a central post, as described, in combination with afollower made to revolve about the axis of such post, having a rotatingshaft provided with cams which bear respectively against the severalarms and successively pro ject the figures one beyond the other as thefollower revolves and the shaft rotates.

2. A toy race-course provided with the horizontal wires or arms and thefigures and eoun- 7c terbalancing-weights, in combination with thefollower journaled on the same post as the horizontal arms, and providedwith the camshaft and cams and the pinion-wheel gearing into thestationary pinion-wheel on the More said central post.

J. T. MAREAN.

lVitnesses:

HERBERT KNIGHT,

LEONARD K. PRINCE.

